Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols to include world premiere

A local holiday tradition continues Saturday, Dec. 8, as the Women’s Choir of the State University of New York at Fredonia presents the 21st Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Fredonia, located at 25 Church St. in the village.

This year’s program will feature “Personent Hodie,” composed especially for the Women's Choir by SUNY Fredonia alumnus and School of Music lecturer Sean Doyle in its world premiere performance.

The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

The program, which is meant to symbolize the goodwill between SUNY Fredonia and the local community, is patterned after the world-renowned service established at Kings College in Cambridge, England, in 1918.

Lessons and Carols is comprised of nine individual lessons, each of which recounts a part of the Christmas story. The lessons are read in turn by representatives of the college and local communities. Each lesson is then followed by a musical selection performed by the SUNY Fredonia Women’s Choir, directed by Dr. Donald P. Lang.

Reading the lessons this year will be Michaela Tramuta, daughter of SUNY Fredonia alumni Daniel and Laurie Tramuta; Maria Perry of the Women’s Choir; Gwendolyn Coleman Detwiler, assistant professor of voice at the SUNY Fredonia School of Music; James P. Piorkowski, professor of guitar studies at the SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Dr. Lang; Virginia S. Horvath, vice president for Academic Affairs at SUNY Fredonia; SUNY Fredonia President Dennis L. Hefner; Fredonia Mayor Michael J. Sullivan; and the Rev. Matthew H. Stengel of the First United Methodist Church of Fredonia.

Accompanists include Father Sean Duggan, organ; Midori Tsujimoto, piano; Douglas Feig and David Robbins, percussion; and Mr. Doyle on bass.

The repertoire will include, “Once in Royal David’s City,” “The Wexford Carol,” “The Truth from Above,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Joy to the World.”